Akihiko Ozaki1, Hiroaki Saito2, Yuki Senoo3, Toyoaki Sawano4, Yuki Shimada5, Yurie Kobashi3, Kana Yamamoto3, Yosuke Suzuki3, Tetsuya Tanimoto3. 1. Department of Breast Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan; Medical Governance Research Institute, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: aozaki-tky@umin.ac.jp. 2. Department of Gastroenterology, Sendai Kosei Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. 3. Medical Governance Research Institute, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. 4. Department of Surgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan. 5. Department of Neurosurgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of non-research pharmaceutical payments to healthcare organizations and professionals in Japan and evaluate data disclosure methods. METHODS: We calculated the aggregated value of each category of non-research payments among all 71 Japanese pharmaceutical companies belonging to the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. Non-research payments were categorized into academic research support expenses (e.g. donations), lecture, manuscript/writing, and consulting/commissioning fees, information provision-related expenses, and other expenses. Data disclosure methods for academic research support and lecturing/writing/consulting fees were evaluated through 11 factors, such as availability of individual payment data, disclosure of characters and figures with machine encoding, and possibility of data download as digital files. RESULTS: The total value of non-research payments was US$1 762 119 513, with information provision-related expenses accounting for the largest proportion (US$1 138 049 361, 64.6 %). One company did not disclose individual payment data for academic research support and lecturing/writing/consulting and 31 (44.3%) of the remaining 70 demanded a registration for data access. Of the 70 companies disclosing data, 29 (41.4 %) disclosed characters and figures without machine encoding, and only 27 (38.6 %) allowed data download. CONCLUSIONS: Japanese healthcare organizations and professionals received significant amounts of non-research payments from pharmaceutical companies. Data disclosure methods did not provide adequate levels of transparency in these financial relationships.
OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of non-research pharmaceutical payments to healthcare organizations and professionals in Japan and evaluate data disclosure methods. METHODS: We calculated the aggregated value of each category of non-research payments among all 71 Japanese pharmaceutical companies belonging to the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. Non-research payments were categorized into academic research support expenses (e.g. donations), lecture, manuscript/writing, and consulting/commissioning fees, information provision-related expenses, and other expenses. Data disclosure methods for academic research support and lecturing/writing/consulting fees were evaluated through 11 factors, such as availability of individual payment data, disclosure of characters and figures with machine encoding, and possibility of data download as digital files. RESULTS: The total value of non-research payments was US$1 762 119 513, with information provision-related expenses accounting for the largest proportion (US$1 138 049 361, 64.6 %). One company did not disclose individual payment data for academic research support and lecturing/writing/consulting and 31 (44.3%) of the remaining 70 demanded a registration for data access. Of the 70 companies disclosing data, 29 (41.4 %) disclosed characters and figures without machine encoding, and only 27 (38.6 %) allowed data download. CONCLUSIONS: Japanese healthcare organizations and professionals received significant amounts of non-research payments from pharmaceutical companies. Data disclosure methods did not provide adequate levels of transparency in these financial relationships.